Sharpener for lawn-mowers and the like



sept. 19, 1933. H. J. EPWORTH 1,927,6394

SHARPENER FOR LAWN MOWERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 6. 195s Patented sept.19, 1933 'y e Henry Jackson rEpvvorth, dinburgh-'rscortland ApplicationFebruary 6, 1.933,1Serial'No.'f6`55g359p 'Y cutter blades and/or ledgerblade of lawn-mowers and like machines. f

The improved tool or appliance comprisesa guide member grooved to t overand travel along the edge of the ledger blade, the .groove of said guidevmember being preferably .formed or provided with one or more filing-orgrinding surfaces for sharpeningfthe ledgerl blade when the guidemember is reciprocated along theedge of the ledgerblade. Carried bythesaid guide member is a Sharpener for filing or grinding the rotarycutterblades, this Vcutter blade Sharpener having a groove formed orprovided with a filing or'grindingsurface which is fitted overthe edgeof the rotary cutter blade. The cutter blade Sharpener is adjustable tothe angleof pitch of the rotary blade so that, when the guide membercarrying the cutter blade Sharpener is reciprocated, the said Sharpenerwill -travel along Vthe edge of the rotary blade While turning thelatter in one direction or the other. 'Iliegrooves in the guide memberand cutter blade Sharpener may `be` made or provided with le surfacesfor filing the edges of the blades, or the .grooves `may be ber, forwhich purpose the) cutter blade Sharpener is made detachable 'from'theguide member, or it' need not be engaged with one of the cutter blades.Handles are provided on thel guide member for enabling Vit to bereciprocated.

`'[n order tov enable the cutter blade Sharpener toY be pressed firmlyVagainst the .edge of the rotary cutterblade, the cutter blade Sharpeneris preferably slidably andl adjustably mounted in the guide member andpressed towards the cutter blade by thumb,v nger orhand pressure against,the actionfof a returning spring. y L

The guide member may be tted with right and left-hand cutter blade.Sharpenersy so that the tool or appliance can be used for lawn-mowers'tachingthem from the bodyof the machine and '.mowertsthepangleftheiront face having the `rotarycutter blades inclined in either The.improved tool .or appliancefenables the lawn mowerblades Atobesharpened withoutde- 60 the bladesvcan be sharpened lto thecorrectflgles without requiring'skill.` l v It will beunderstood thatWhilefoneer more faces'A of eachgroove -is A'or are formedasv filing orgrinding surfaces, the other faces of the groove' serve as guidingandbearing'surfaces forguiding theftooljalong the edge ofthe blade vto besharpf ened.1,- f' y In order vthat vthe invention may fbe A moreclearly understood, reference -is hereinafter made to the/accompanyingdrawing illustratingV one construction of the improved tool'orapplianceEig. -1vis a planv view-, ,A Fig. 2 afrontview,

Fig. 3 arear'viewand u h- ,L Y- 4 -.F ig.14 is'an end view of the toolorapplianc e. Fig. 5 is a perspective .view ofthe cutterblade sharp'enerdetached;` e y. v `As illustrated, the appliancecomprises a bar`of steel vor other suitable material'llhaving' a` 80- lrecess or groove2.1throughout its' length anden itsfundersideto receive `the upperpartvoi'fl -file or grinder', thelowerpart of which refs'tsona le orgrinder@ supported ,bythe horizontal flanged of an vL=shaped guide orbar 6 secured Bti i togthe rear edge fof the bar 1 by means ofr'screwsor studs 7.., Y... f

The bar l is formed on itsY front edge Vwithftwo lugs orsprojections 8,one ateaeh end of thev bar l 1, to provide-sockets into which thereducedscrewthreaded ends ofhandles aretted. On. the rear edge-,Of the baril.are-ffmedfiweylgs or projections 10,.one lnear* eachV end, saidprojections 01 lugs being-provided with vertical holes.throught-Whichdpass .the pinS 0r stems 11r of .blocks 12,k eachcarrying av file or grinder 13. e The Agrinder'fl is kept'in positiononwthefange, 5 of the 4L -shaped bar 6 by means of anflipfstandying-projection 14 on themange 5 engagingin a corresponding notch orrecess vin thekgrinder 4Afis-100,

-IIhe grinder isheld inposition on thegrinder 4- Y by fmeansl of screws15`v passingxthrough'* the bar land engaging notcheslinthe grinder 3.@lThe grinder `Sis providedwith an angled Ifront vface `1'7 Whichis.serrated across its depth 'toga 1057- i iinenle surface, the angledfronte-face" 17 form-- ing with theupper surfaeeof the grinder 4,Whiehisalso-serrated to anneile Vsurface, @v -shaped* recess intov which theledger blade of thef grinder3 beingmade to suit the'angle of the'...cutting edge of the ledger blade.

upwards through the vertical hole in one of the Each guide block 12 hasagroove or recess v18 Y to receive the-grinder 13 which is retained insaid grooveor recess 18 by means of a screw or pin 22 passing through aholer 22ar in the side-"of the groove or recess and in thegrinder l13.`The bottom'faceof each grinder is angled andkis serrated across its faceto a ne ille surface.

The pin or Stern 11 of the guide block 12 passing lugs or projections 10is provided atits upper end with'a head or push piece A19 whichissecured'tov the stem l1 by means of a split pin: or` the like 20.Springs .21v are tted aroundl the stems 1l l between the lugs 10 and thepush pieces, 19 Ato normally keep the guide'lolocksl V12fa'gainst .the

undersider ofthe lugs 10. An adjustable.' limit Stop comprising ascrew-threaded .pin 23 having a knurled Vhead24 is provided in asuitable position beneath each pushpiece 19,' said pins being Yadjustable in screw-threaded holes in the bar .1.

Theguideblocks' 12 Vare rounded at their ends j yand thepinsfor'spindles`ll arerotatable inthe y y'of the mower;

` 'free to rotate.- r-lhe ends of the. rotary bladesA is adjusted sothat the pushpiece 19 can fonly blocky12 is used, and the Sameoperation, as above y .'fberemoved if only f "'65 sharpening.

'Inl operating the devicefthe lawn mower is tui'ned'over withthe ledgerblade uppermost-and rested in a convenient position to leave the vwheelsVwhich firstrpass under the ledger blades are noted rand if this end ofthe mower happens to be the right hand end, the right hand guide block fj 12 is placed over one-ci' the bladesandV the appliance and blade arethen pulled towards the ledge blade until thel V-shaped groove'formed bythe grinders 3 and 1i engages'l over the edge of the `ledger blade."ihefpushv piece `1'9'is de- 'pressediby the hand until thev'grinderflSY presses firmly on the-rotary blade and thelimitfstop 23be` depressed Suliicientto allow Ythe blade to be sharpened withoutwaste off material. The appliance is then heldv by the handles 9 andrecipro-` and'towards the ledger blade as it is'moved backwardsandforwards, the grinder 13 sharpening the rotary blade and the grinders 3ande sharpenging the ledger blade. The same operation .is repeated inturn for each rotary blade.

'f Ii Vthe left-handendof the rotary blade rst passes .under the ledgerblade, the left-hand guide described, is perfrmed,.the only differencebeing thatv theoperationis started from. the left-hand side instead offrom the'right-hand side. When using the'left-hand guide block 412, therightone can be'removed, or both guideblocks `12 can d the ledger bladerequires If it is only necessary to sharpen the .rotary blades," this-is accomplished by placing thel tool f overboth ledger blade and rotaryblade as previouslydescribed and `byiexertir'ig more pressure on the'push piece 19 and less on the handles 9, the rov taryr blades onlyV aresharpened. By exerting ened'. d Y

It is to be understood that theinvent'ion is not gagedby it.

limited tothe particular construction herein d e- 1 having only'onehandle 9 and one guide block 12 and .grinder 13A for ySharpeningv therotary scribed` and illustrated, which may be varied with- Y For ndblades, the guide block 1'2 andygrinder 13 being reversed` to suiteither rightorleft hand angled Furthermore the toolmay .bei arranged tobeV ymechanically 'reciprocated While being guided alongthe ledgerblade. The grinding or abrading surfaces'may Vbeeither renewable orotherwise,-

or they maybe constitutedbyv one ,ormore rotaryabrading: discs which.may be revolved by gearing deriving motion from the manual ormechanical reciprocation'ofthe'tool along the ledger blade. f

lmember adapted to Yslidably rernbracejthe 4.edge

of the ledgerA blade, a `sharpeneradaptedto slidably and detachablyembrace the edge offany of. v*

the helical blades, and `meansfvfor adjustably mit Said Sharpener toautomatically.. adjust itself to the `'angle of pitch of the helicalblade en- 2. VAn applianceas definedin claimy 1 having a grooved guideVmember provided within the groove with abrading'surfaces for edge oftheledger blade.

3, An appliance as dened in claim 1 having a guide member formed with alongitudinal vgroove therein,` Aand. abrading elements detachably .se-

cured within "the said grooved/and adapted to 5. Anapplianceforsharpening the blades of n va machine having a helicallybladed cutter and a coactingledger blade,v comprising `amemberslidsharpening the mounting saidvsharpener on saidmernber toperable along the edge of the ledger-blade, a sharpen- Y .of thehelicalblade engagedby it, and an abut-r ment onsaid .pivotingmeanswhereby pressure -may be manually applied to press rthe Sharpeneragainst the edge of the helical blade. .Y 1 i '7. AnAappliance asdefined inlfclaim 5 having; a pair of sharpeners'each adapted, forSlidingwmov'ement along the edge of one of the vhelical blades, andmeans detachably and pivotally connecting each Sharpener 'to said memberto positionV the Sharpeners at opposite vends of 'said member, thepivotal axis of each Sharpener being' eccentrically disposed `withrespectto its Sharpener and the pivotalaxes ofthe Sharpeners beingVopposed in 'relation to one another with vrespect to their Sharpeners',thereby' to -enable=one Sharpener to fhandedhelical blade. 1

8. An appliance for Sharpening-the blades cfa `machine having ahelicallybladedl cutter anda -rao coacting ledger blade, comprising aguide-member adapted to slidably and detachably engage the edge of theledgerblade, a handle attached to said member for manually reciprocatingit, abrading elements on said member for sharpening the ledger blade, aSharpener vadapted to detachably and slidably engage the edge of any ofthe helical blades, and means adjustably supporting the Sharpener fromsaid* member. I

9. yAn appliance for sharpening the'blades of a machine having ahelically bladed cutter and' a coacting ledger blade, comprising a barhaving l a longitudinal groove to slidablyjand detachably engage theedge of the ledger blade, a hand grip attached to said bar for manuallyreciprocating it, a pair of blocks eccentrically and detachably pivotedto said bar in spaced relationship, each block having a longitudinalgroove therein, and abrading elements set in the grooves in said blocksfor engaging the edges of the helical blades. g

10. An appliance for sharpening the blades of a machine having ahelically bladed cutter and a coacting ledger blade, comprising almember adapted toslidably and detachably engage thev edge of the ledgerblade, a Sharpener adapted to slidably and detachably engage the edge ofany of the helical blades, a trunnion projecting from s aid Sharpener, asocketv on said member apertured to slidably and rotatably receive saidtrunnion, a spring for withdrawing said Sharpener from the helicalblade, stops for limiting the sliding movement of said trunnion withrespect to the socket, and means on said trunnion for applying manualpressure thereto against the action-of said spring to press theSharpener against the helical blade.

11. An appliance as defined in claim 10 having an adjustable limit stopfor limiting the movement of the Sharpener towards the helical blade.12. A manually operable tool for sharpening the ledger blade of a lawnmower `or like machine having a rotary cutter and a coacting ledgerblade, comprising a member having a longitudinal groove to slidably anddetachably lengage the edge of the ledger blade, ahandle attached to andprojecting from said member, and abrading4 elements detachably fitted insaid groove and having angularly disposed abrading surfaces for enset insaid groove, saidrelement having an abrady 'ing face angularly disposedto engage and sharpen gaging and sharpening the angularly 'disposed 'fcutting faces of the ledger blade. d 4

13. A manually operable tool for sharpening' the cutting edges ofthelblades of aj helically bladed rotary cutter rotatably cooperatingwith a ledger blade,` comprising a block having a longitudinal grooveadapted to slidably and detach- ,k `ably engage over the cutting edgeofanyof the bladesof the rotary cutter, anabrading element 85 thecutting faces of the blades of the rotary cutter, a lmember adapted todetachably and slidably engage the ledger blade, a lhand grip on saidmember for reciprocating 'it along the ledger blade, and swivellingmeans attaching said block to said vmember tov allow the groove in Saidblock to adapt itself to the -pitchof the blade engaged by it duringreciprocation of said member.

14. A manually operable tool for sharpening the blades of a lawn moweror like machine haying a helically bladed rotary cutter rotatably co- Yn `operating with a ledger blade, comprising arecip l rocatory memberhaving va, longitudinal groove therein, a flat le secured to-oneface ofsaid'lvoov.` f groove,V a file member secured between said" flatv f' le'andthe other'tvvo faces of said groove,A saidle member having abevelled le face, a handle attached to said reciprocatory member `forman- Y ually reciprocating it with said file and rile member in contactwith the cuttingfaces of the ledger blade, an apertured lug:- on said'-reciprocatory member, a pin rotatably fitted through the aperture insaid lug, a block carried at one endof said pin,4 ySaid block having alongitudinal grooveno...

therein aille member setin said groove and having a bevelled'flle faceto engage the cutting face of any of theV blades of 'the rotary cutter,an enlarged head on said pin, and a springin compression between saidhead and lug and surrounding I 15. A tool as. dened inclaim lflhavin'g alimit screw adjustably.screw-threaded into the reciprocatory member andadapted' to engage be-

